Susceptibility to addictions and compulsive behaviors of all kinds. From drugs and alcohol, to gambling, shopping, spending, sex, food, exercise, and screens, we who have ADHD are five to ten times more likely than the person who does not have ADHD to develop a problem in this domain. This stems from the “itch” mentioned earlier and the need to juice up reality. The upside of this symptom is that if you find the right creative outlet—start a business, write a book, build a house, plant a garden—you can scratch the itch that way, rather than develop a bad habit or an outright addiction.
